The Miami Dolphins didn't think it was needed to re-sign former free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Now, he won't likely get a chance to return to Miami to face them after suffering an untimely injury.
According to a report by Ian Rapoport, Wilkins has a Jones fracture that will sideline him indefinitely. The star defensive tackle will undergo surgery and he's now headed to Injured Reserve. This is a brutal update for the veteran playmaker:
Former Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins has been placed on Injured Reserve
The injury will now have a massive negative impact on the Dolphins' chances of getting a third-round compensatory pick after losing him to free agency. While the formula for comp picks is kept secretive, one of the possible factors is how many games a player appears in. In this case, however, the likelihood is that it will not have an impact on the compensatory pick. The reason is that his contract was high enough to offset other factors. Alain Poupart of Sports Illustrated did a good job at looking deeper into what it might mean for the comp pick.
In terms of Wilkins, the Dolphins are set to face the Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 17. Wilkins has a "Jones Fracture" that will require about three to four months of recovery time. The fracture is on the bone that connects the pinkie toe to the base of the foot below the ankle.
Through five games with the Raiders, Wilkins has two sacks and 17 total tackles. It's hard to say what was expected of him in his first season with the Raiders because his being on the field helps Maxx Crosby.
Chris Grier opted to let Wilkins leave in free agency. Given the more than $110 million the former first-round pick received, it made sense. The Dolphins haven't felt the sting of him being gone on the field thanks to the play of Calais Campbell. Of course, Zach Sieler is having another fantastic early season as well.
